Keith Olbermann's biggest booster becomes MSNBC's president

[NYCGirl]

Great news for Keith and MSNBC!

http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2008/07/keith-olbermann.html

Phil Griffin, the smart, amiable longtime NBC news executive who has worked with Keith Olbermann off and on for more than 25 years and is his most outspoken champion in his current incarnation at MSNBC, takes over the whole network today, NBC News has announced.

Griffin (whom I interviewed below) has been at the cable channel since the outset; before that, his jobs included NBC's "Today" show, the syndicated "USA Today" show (remember that?) and before that, three years at CNN where as a producer, he worked for the first time with Olbermann.

MUCH MORE AT LINK

[Fridays Child]

1. That's good news!

[izquierdista]

2. And the pendulum swings

Slowly to the left, knocking out the RW gasbags as it goes by. Soon all that will be left of the conservative punditocracy will be the Heil Hannity station.

[JimmyJubes]

3. Kick

Excellent News!

[melody]

4. Somebody stick a webcam on BillO

I want to watch his head explode. :woohoo:

[soleft]

5. Has to be good for Keith's number one sub too.

I think she's more than proven she could carry her own show.

[jwirr]

14. Yes, I have loved watching her this last weeks. She is smart and in

some ways she is more diplomatic than KO.

[janet118]

15. Rachel is the best

It seems like she always asks exactly the question I had floating around in my head. I'd love to see a show that she had a hand in designing herself.

I just had an off-the-wall thought - if Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania were selected as the vice presidential candidate, Chris "Toady" Matthews, because of his future political aspirations in that state, would be falling all over himself trying kiss up to Rendell. That would make Hardball, Countdown and whatever show Rachel had all pushing the Dem ticket. It would almost balance the Fox News pro-GOP slant.

Meanwhile, Rendell himself, if he would consider running as VP - would make an interesting candidate. He is a street smart, salt-of-the-earth, old style Democrat who is Jewish and very popular with the working class white guys. He also served in the Army and was a strong Clinton supporter. He might a good balance for Obama's cool, smart style.

[Overseas]

20. I'd love to see Rachel do her own show. /nt

[kevinmc]

6. Phil Griffin, I have been sending him emails today Complaining about Andrea Mitchell ...

from things Media Matters has been posting today. Hope this guy does something about her.

[stuckinlodi]

7. Salt in the wound for Comcast customers n/t

[intheflow]

10. Why?

:shrug:

[bullwinkle428]

12. Comcast apparently moved MSNBC to a "higher level tier" on their

cable channel spectrum, forcing customers to pay more each month if they want to continue watching MSNBC. Really a kind of electronic censorship, when you consider the alternative news choices.

[intheflow]

16. Thanks, I missed that story.

:hi:

[dodger501]

21. They haven't done that in MN yet

I don't think, anyway.
Kinds of sucks considering MSNBC does not have a HD channel like CNN does.

[Lochloosa]

13. MSNBC is being moved to only premium channels in a lot of areas

[intheflow]

17. Thanks. n/t

[NattPang]

8. My wish list:

Get rid of Andrea, Gregory, scaroborough, Watkins, Micha and Buchanan-
Advise Tamera and countessa to ease up and chill out on the pronounced bias.
KO should be on twice before Hardball, like Hardball is now.
Announce that they will no longer refer to Sen. Obama's race, as it is evident.
Producers should come to DU to get a lead on that day's coverage.
Broacast at least one each of the candidatates' appearances in full per day.

[NattPang]

9. Accidental Dupe

GO Keith! :)

[malaise]

26. He's back with a bang

Turley up. Time to lock up Rove.

[City Lights]

11. Excellent news! nt

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

18. dear phil, dump the prison crap.

[Overseas]

19. Yes please ! It was especially repulsive over 4th of July weekend.

Filling even more of the schedule during Independence Day Weekend.

[Middle finga]

22. Look for Bill'O to really blow a gasket now

[SoCalDem]

23. Dear Phil,

Wanna continue to raise the ratings of MSNBC?
You could do it within one week..

1) Pat Buchanan HAS to go.. His overt racism is not nearly as funny as he thinks it is.

2) Morning Joe (Dead Aide) Scarborough is not the "bipartisan" flunkie he pretends to be.. Intelligent people see through his pretend "friendliness".. he's just as evil and meanspirited as he was back in '98.. he obviously prefers pensacola, so send him home & start over on that show..

3) Rachel Maddow needs her own show

4) David Gregory's Whack-a-Mole Screaming Head show is awful, and should be euthanized.

5) Stop making Keith waste 2/3 of his hour with the goof-ball news of the day.. His is the ONLY news show that even delves into the serious stuff.. we need MORE..not less

6) Tone down the achorettes. Leave the tight sweaters, cleavage, big hair & lip-gloss to Fox..

7) Scrap the happy-talk banter between "hosts".. I don't CARE what the weatherman had for dinner last night, or how many cups of Latte foo-foo frappe cocoa the sportsguy drinks every day.. In FACT, scrap the sports completely.. There are gazillions of sports shows around..

8) Ditch the lightweight "pundits"..especially the ones who go back to Nixon, Ford, Carter eras.

9) quit using your "news" shows as little more than shills for your OTHER ventures (movies, magazines, books, tv shows)

10) Use REAL experts, and give them each separate time ..no more dueling screaming heads

11) Recognize that there really ARE facts that need discussing, and that deserve no "opposing opinions" aired. Would Hilter be given an "opposing" opinion opportunity?

12) Why not ask your viewers what and whom they would like to see for a change, instead of wasting all that money tossing lame shows out there and then wasting months tweaking them? Give the viewers who and what they want to see, and we will show up..

13) FOX NEWS should not be your model. Instead of trying to woo Fox Watchers (fat chance), why not dump the swooshing noises, flashing lights, multiple crawls & tickers, and just give us the FACTS we need.. Trust us, we WILL show up.. Be what CNN started out as, and you will get loyal viewers.. If you want to BE a News network, all you need to do is ACT like one..

[Kaleko]

24. Word!

[Cha]

27. Excellent suggestions,

SoCal.. MSNBC could take off like Bullet Train and become # UNO..not # 3.

[samsingh]

25. Excellent!

[Cleita]

28. Woohoo!

In a week that has had nothing but bad news, this is welcome good news!

[jgraz]

29. This is also good news for Rachel Maddow fans

Keith is clearly behind Rachel getting her own show on MSNBC. This should really pave the way.

[Auggie]

30. MSNBC should hire Howard Beale

(just kidding)

[99th_Monkey]

31. FAUX-NEWZ Execs & BillO must be crapping their pants about now. This is fantastic!!! ~nt~